Desiccating apparatus.



J. ROEH,

DESIOGATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1a, 1908.

927,169. Patented July 6,1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. ROEH.

DESIGCATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.13, 190s.

927,1 69. Patented July 6, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ,4 TTU/SEVEYS DESIGGATING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 13, 1908,

Patented July 6, 1909.

s SHEETS-SHEET a.

WITNESSES V INVENTOB (70/222 Ra e/v Afro/mas heated surface, the water is removed and the l v UNITED. STATES; PATELTT oi IoE.

JOHN ROEI-I, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO CRYSTALLIZED MILK 00., OF

, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, A CORPORATION.

DESICCATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6,1909.

5 Washington, have invented a new and Improved Desiccating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in desiccating apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus especially designed for use in the treatment of milk'to remove the water therefrom and produce a powdered product.

' obtain a milk product in a light nel subdivided powdered form' containing all of the solids including the fatty substances of the milk, in sucha condition that-they are freely soluble in water to. produce a milk similar in all respects to fresh milk, and without necessitating the adding of any foreign substance whatever thereto either before or after the.

drying or dehydrating action. To secure this product, I take the raw milk in its natural state and spread or spray-it very thinly on glass or enameled plates or cylinders, or

other hard surfaces, heated to a temperature.

ranging from 11.0 to 150. degrees Fahrenheit, and deliver acurrent of warm air against the thin film of the milk. The Inilkis evaporated to dryness almost instantaneously and is' transformed into a hard coating, which when scraped from the surface produces a white flufiy powder. This powder is immediately removed, passed through a fine mesh screen, heated to such a temperature as will thoroughly sterilize the same, and is then packed at .once in airtight receptacles pre- A0 viously sterilized. The milk is not heated to sufliciently high temperature to cause any chemical change in the ca'seins, proteids, or

. other solid constituents, but is spread out in sucha thin film that in the presence of the current of warm air and the action of the solids reduced to astate of complete dryness.

In order that the milk may be thoroughly and completely dried before removing the same from the heated surface, I so construct the apparatus that the, film may remain on ,"thcrotating cylinder or drum during aplurality of revolutions of the latter. The drum or drums and the. milk delivery nozzle are Application filed August 13, 1908. Serial No. 448,302.

By means of my lmproved a paratus, I.

preferably so mounted in relationt-o each other, that the nozzle travels longitudinally of the drum and delivers milk thereto while traveling in one direction, but is closed While traveling in the opposite direction, the nozzle while delivering milk being preceded by a scraper which removes from the surface of the drum, the dried material resulting from the previous delivery trip of the nozzle.

Thus, the milk delivered at any one point upon the surface of the cylinder remains to be thoroughly dried while the nozzle completes this milk-delivering tri returnst to the starting point, and near y' reaches-a given point upon the next succeeding milk delivering trip, during which time the cylinder has rotated through. a plurality of revolutions, the milk has repeatedly come in contactwith the current of warm air, and the drums'have compressed the film to crush all hard particles and form a coating of uniform thickness. The milk scraped from the-drums is delivered to a receiving trough extending substantially the length of the drums, and in order to prevent the accumulation of the dried owder within the trough, the a paratus is so constructed as to transfer a the material to one end of the trough during the return or non-operating movement of the scra er anddelivering nozzle.

y improved apparatus may be used for carrying out the process disclosed in my divisional application, Serial No. 472,431, filed,

January 15, 1909.

I wil now describe the details of one from of my improved apparatus, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part .of this specification, in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corres 0nding parts in all the figures, and in whic Figure 1 is an' endview of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, a portionbeing broken away; and Fig. 3 isa side elevation showing somewhat diagrammatically, mechanism constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

" In carrying out my invention, I preferably employ the apparatus illustrated in detail in Figs. -1 and 2.

This a paratus comprises a suitable framework having mounted to rotate on horizontal axes, and having means forspraying onto the drums the milk or other material to be desiccated,

and having means for removing the resultingtwo drums 105 product. In the preferred form of my apparatus, I provide two hollow drums 10 and 11 mounted in suitable journals in opposite end frames 12 and engaging with eac 1 other throughout their length. One of the journals of one drum preferably extends beyond the end frame and is provided with a suitable pulley 13, whereby the drum maybe rotatedfrom any suitable source of power, and the journal boxes 14 of one of the drums is slidably mounted with the frame, whereby the two drums may be held resiliently in engagement with each other by the action of coil springs 15 in engagement with said sliding journal boxes. The drums may be heated internallyin any suitable manner, as, for inwhich runs a small truck 21 carrying a recep tacle 22 for the milk or other liquid to be delivered upon the surfaces of the drums.-

This receptacle terminates in a conical bottom 23 having a spray nozzle 24 located be tween the two drums and as near as possible to the line along which the two drums engage with each other. The spraying nozzle 24 is of such a size and so located in respect to the drums, that it can only deliver to a smallportion of the surfaces of the drums at any one time, but by moving the truck and receptacle along the track and longitudinally of the drums, all portions of the surfaces of the drums may be reached by the spraying nozzle. For moving'the truck, receptacle and nozzle at a uniform speed in respect to the speed of rotation of the drums, I provide the end shaft of one of the drums with a small pulley 25, which by means of a belt26 transmits motion to a transverse shaft '28 journaled above the platform 19. Motion is transmitted from the shaft 28 to ashort counter-shaft 29 supported parallel thereto in any suitable manner, as, for instance, by a shaft 30 and bevel gear wheels 31 and 32. The counter-shaft 29 is provided with a sprocket wheel over which travels a chain 33. Upon the platform and adjacent the opposite end of the drums is a s rocket wheel 34 over which the chain 33, a so passes. The chain lies parallel to and adjacent one of the rails 20 of the track, and means are provided whereby the motion of the chain causes a movement of the truck along we track. As shown, one of the links of the chain 33 is providcd u ith a lug or projection 35 extending through a vertically disposed slot 36in a plate 37 carried by the truck. In order to sup ort the plate outside of the side wheels of t e truck, it is preferably of inverted U- shaped form, asillustrated in Fig. 1. As the drums rotate, the motion is transmitted through the pulley 25 and belt 26 to the upper shaft 28, and from this shaft to the chain 33. As the chain moves the lug or projection v35 upon one link extending through the slot 36', causes the plate 37 and truck 21 to move along the track until the late reaches one of the sprocket wheels, at wliich time the lug passes vertically through the slot to the opposite end thereof, and u on the return movement of the portion of t e chain carrying the lug or pro ection, the truck is moved in the op osite direction to the other sprocket wheel. bus the tank 22 is moved back and forthlongitudinally, of the rotating drums and at a uniform speed in respect thereto.

. In order to secure the objects hereinafter more clearly set forth, I provide means for automatically shutting off the supply of fluid to the spraying nozzle 24 while the receptacle is traveling in one direction, and automatically opening the valve to permit a flow of fluid to the nozzle while the receptacle is traveling in the opposite direction. This means includes a valve 38 adjacent the nozzle24, and having a valve stem or handle provided with radially extending projections. Carried by the frame and adjacent each endthereof are provided pivotally mounted pawls 39 and 40 having teeth upon the lower surfaces thereof. These are so mounted inrespect to the nozzle, that whenthe tank reaches one .end of the drum, one of the pawls engages with the rojections upon the upper surface of the va ve stem and rotates the same to shut off the supply, while due to the pivotal supporting of the pawl the valve may move out of engagement withthe pawl without again opening the valve.

hen the valve reaches the opposite end of O the .drum, the other pawl engages with the upper surface of the valve stem and rotates the valve to open the same. In this manner the nozzle sprays liquid upon the surfaces of the drums only while traveling in one direction, the valve being closed upon the return movement.

- For removing the dried or desiccated material from the surfaces of the drums, 1 provide scrapers adapted to engage with said surfaces and also adapted to travel longitudinally of the drums simultaneously with the delivery tank and spraying nozzle. The scrapers for the two drums are exactly alike, and a description of one of them will suffice for the other. The shaft 28 mounted u on the platform 19 supports a sprocket whee 40 at each end thereof, and extending downward from said sprocket wheels are the chains 41 serving to operate the scrapers.

Suitably mounted adjacent each end of each drum adjacent the outer side at the lower portion thereof, is a chain 42 mounted upon.

suitable sprocketwheel's, one of which is. positively driven by means of the chain 41; The sprocket wheels upon which these chains are mounted, are of substantially the same distance apart as are the, sprocket wheels upon which t e chain 33 is mounted, and this chain 10 serves to move a suitable scraper longitudinally of the drum and slightly'in advance of the spraying nozzle during the delivery trip thereof.

Corresponding to the rails 20 forming the track for the delivering receptacle and its truck, I provide a suitable support 43 forming a guideway'for a longitudinally movable plate 44. This plate is provided with aver tically disposed extenslon 45 at one side thereof, which extension is rovided with a vertical slot having a small ate 46 mounted to reciprocate therein. Tliis plate is provided with an opening adapted to receive a projection or lug 47 carried by one of the links of the chain 42, wherebyas the chain moves the plate 44 is caused to move therewith until the lug or )rojection on the chain passes thesprocket w eel, at which time the plate 46 moves to the opposite end of its slot andthe plate 44 is moved in the opposite direction a ong its guideway. At the opposite side of the plate 44 from the extension 45 there is provided a suitable standard 48 upon which is pivotally mounted an arm 49, one 35 end of which extends through the opening in the plate 46, and the other end of which sup ports a brush 50 mounted adjacent thereceiving trough 51. Also pivotally mounted upon. the standard 48 is a scraper 52 adapted 0 to enga c with the surface of the drum and resilient y sup orted in relation theretoby means of a coi spring 53 engaging with the backof the brush and the under side of the scraper. tiallythe entire length of the drum, and at one end thereof is provided with a conduit 54 through which the desiccated material is delivered.

In the operation of this portion of my ap- 50 paratus, the plate 46 in traveling from one sprocket wheel to the other, may be at either t e lower or upper position, de ending uponthe', longitudina direction in w ich the operating link is traveling. With the plate in 55 the position indicated'in Figs. 1 and 2, the end of the arm 49 in extending through the opening in the late 46 holds the brush 5O out of the troug 1, and the scraper is held resiliently in engagement with the surface of the drum. When the scraper reaches a point adjacent the end of the drum and the late 46 is moved to the upper position, the brush 50 is lowered into engagement with the bottom of the trough and the scraper 52 is moved out of engagement with the surface The trough 51 extends substanof the drum. Thus, during one movement of the carrying plate .44 the material is scraped from the surface of the drum into the trough,- and upon the return. movement 7 of said plate the material scraped from the drum is brushed along the trough to one end I thereof and delivered through the conduit 54.. In order that the scraper may engage with the surface of the drum with uniform pressure throughout the length thereof, and in order that the brush may engage with the bottom of the trough with uniform pressure any suitable means, as, for instance, guides 55, maybe provided adjacent the chain 42 between the two sprockets, to prevent the chain from sagging. The scraper is so mounted in respect to the distributing nozzle 24 that l during the time while the nozzle is delivering liquid into engagement with'the surface of the drum, the scraper is traveling slightly in advance of the sprayerand is scraping oil" that portion of. the material which was delivered to the drum u on'the previous spraying' trip of the nozz e. V'Jhen the scraper and nozzle reach theend of their respective courses, both are thrown out of operation and return to the opposite end of the drum, during which time the material upon the. surface of the drum is thoroughly dried and hardened by the heating action, and ren-S dered uniform in thickness by the crushing action between. the two drums;

To facilitate the drying action. caused by the internally heated drums, I provide a casing 56 below the drums and having portions 00 terminating closely adjacent the drums at H each end thereof. The casing is spaced at a uniform distance from the surfaces of thedrums, and at a point directly beneath the meeting line of the two drums there is provideda conduit 57 serving to deliverwarm air into engagement therewith. The air asses upward. into engagement with the ower surfaces of the drums and then flows downward and outward adjacent the under 1 surfaces thereof, as is indicated by the arrows. The exhaust air preferably passes in engagement with the under surfaces of the troughs to maintain them at the desired tem perature. I In employing the. apparatus 'above described for the desiccating of milk, the raw milk in its natural state is delivered from the tank 58in a refrigerating room through a suitable conduit 59 into the tank 22 of the desiccating or drying apparatus, The'drums are heated to a temperature ranging from 110 degrees to 150 degrees, Fahrenheit, by hot water delivered through the conduit 18,

the warm air isdelivercd into engagement with the under surfaces of the drums through the conduit 57. The milk is delivered in avery thin. film an d is permittedto remain on the surfaces of the drums to be thoroughly dried and hardened during a plurality of trough by the brush 50 upon the return movement of the scraper, and is delivered through the conduit 54 to a suitable screen 60. This screen is adapted to be oscillated by a suitable link 61, a bell crank lever 62, and a link 63, connected to an eccentric 64 which is operated by a belt 65 passing over a pulley 66 upon the end of the shaft to one of the drums; The fine milk powder after having passed through the screen 60 is delivered through a conduit 67 to any suitable receiver 68 in the packing room. The air in this room is preferably sterilized, and the milk powder is packed as quickly as possible in airtight receptacles. The conduit 67 is surrounded by a steam jacket 69, whereby the milk powder is heated to sufficiently high. temperature to thoroughly sterilize the same.

In my improved apparatus the milk 'is almost instantaneously evaporated after being delivered to the surfaces of the drums, but is evaporated at a temperature below the boiling polnt of water or milk. If too high a temperature is employed, the albumens may coagulate, the caseins be chemically transformed, and various other changes brought about which would render the milk product insoluble or partially insoluble in water; but by thoroughly evaporating the milk to a thoroughly and completely dry state while at a temperature ranging from 110 degrees to 150 degrees, Fahrenheit, no chemical changes are brought about in the milk which would interfere in any way with the free solubility of the latter. It is entirely unnecessary to add sugar, a preservative, or any other substance to the milk before treating the same, and the resulting product, therefore, consists of merely the solids of the milk in such a form as to be freely soluble in water, and when dissolved to form a product exactly similar to fresh milk. The milk is thoroughly sterilized as soon as it leaves the desiccating apparatus and is then immediately packed in airtight receptacles, before any oxidation, (l0CO111)OSli3lOI1, or other chemical changes take place.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, an interiorly-heated drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, a sprayer delivering to the outer surface thereof, and means for moving said sprayer back and forth longitudinally of the drum.

2. In combination, an interiorly-heated drum rotatable about a horizontal axis, a su ply tank, a sprayer connected thereto and de ivering to the outer surface of the drum,'.

tation of the drum, a tank movable along said track, a sprayer connected to said tank and delivering against the surface of the drum and means for varying the temperature of the material on said drum.

5. In combination, an interiorly-heated rotatable drum, a supply tank, means for moving said su ply tank back and forth longitudinally o the drum, and a sprayer carried by said supply tank and delivering to the exterior of the drum.

6. In combination, two rotatable drums having rolling contact with each other, a

sprayer for delivering to the exterior of said drums adjacent the line of contact, and means for moving said sprayer back and forth. longitudinally of the drums.

7. In combination, two rotatable drums having rolling contact with each other, a sprayer for delivering a fluid to the surfaces of said drums adjacent the line of contact, means for moving said sprayer longitudinally of said drums, a valve controlling said sprayer, means at one end of said drums for opening the valve, and means at the opposite end of the drums for closingthe valve.

8. In combination, two drums rotatable in contact with each otherand about substantially horizontally-disposed axes, a track above said drums, a tank movable along said track, and a sprayer connected to said tank and delivering to the surface of said drums adjacent the line of contact.

9. In combination, two drums rotatable about substantially arallel axes and in rolling contact with eac 1 other, means for rotating said drums to move their contacting surfaces upwardly; means for varying the temperature of said drums, and means for delivering a fluid to the upper surfaces of said drums adjacent the line of contact and upon the portions rolling away from each other.

10. In combination, two substantially parallel drums in rolling engagement with valve adjacent one end of the drums, and

means for closing said valve adjacent the opposite end of the drums.

11. In combination,. a rotatable drum, a

sprayer movable back and forth longitudinally of the drum, means for varyin the tem erature of said drum and means w ereby t e supply of liquid to said drum is auto-f means for varyi matically shut off while the sprayer moves in one direction.

12. In combination, a rotatable drum, the temperature thereof a sprayer adapte to deliver a fluid against the surface of said drum, means for moving said sprayer back and'forth longitudinally of the drum, a valve controlling the flowof "fluid to said sprayer, and means whereby carried by said tank and adapted to deliver a fluid against the surface of said drum.

14. In combination, a rotatable drum, a track mounted above the same, a supply tank movable along said track and longitudinally of the drum, anda sprayer in com-- .munication with said tank and adapted to de liver a fluid against the surface of said drum.

15. In combination, a rotatable drum, a sprayer mounted ad'acent said drum and adaptedto'deliver a uid against the surface thereof, means for simultaneously rotating said drum and moving said sprayer longitudinally of the drum, a valve controlling the flow.'of fluid to said sprayer, means adjacent one'end of the drum for opening said valve, and means adjacent the opposite end of thedrum for closing said valve; whereby the sprayer delivers to the surface of said drum only While traveling inone direction I 16. In combination, a rotatable-drum, a

' sprayer movable longitudinally of the drum and adapted to deliver a fluid against the surface thereof, a scraper in engagement with the surface of-the drum and movable longitudinally thereof and means for moving said sprayer and said scraper simulta neously.

17. In combination, a drum, a sprayer movable back and forth longitudinally there of and adapted to deliver a fluid against the surface thereof, a scraper movable longitudinally of said drum and adapted to engage therewith, and means for simultaneously rotating said drum and moving said sprayer and scraper longitudinally of said drum and in the same direction.

18. In combination, arotatable drum, a scraper movable back and forth longitudinally of said drum, and means for holding saidlscraper in engagement said drum While moving in one direction and out of engagementwith said drum while moving in the opposite-direction.

' 19. In combination, a rotatable drum, a.

'elingin the opposite direction.

scraper movable back and forth longitudinally of said drum, means for holding said scraper in engagement with the drum while travelin in one direction and out of en age-- ment w ile travelin in the opposite irection, and means for elivering a fluid against the surface of said drum while the scraper is in engagement therewith.

20. In combination, a rotatable drum, a

sprayer movable longitudinally of the drum and adapted todeliver. a fluid against the said scraper in engagementwith the drum while moving in one direction and out of engagement with the drum. while moving in the opposite direction, said sprayer and scraper adapted to o erate-simultaneously and said .scraper trave ing in advance. of said drum.

21. In combination, a rotatable drum, a

scraper movable longitudinally of said drum,

a horizontally disposed trough adapted to receivethe material scraped from said drum, and a brush movable longitudinally of said trough to remove the scrapings therefrom,

22. In combination, a rotatable drum, a scraper movable back and forth longitudinally thereof, a trough adapted to receive the material removed by said scraper, and means movable longitudinally of said trough and adapted to engage therewith while traveling in one direction only to convey the material in said trough to one end. thereof.

23. In combination, a rotatabledrum, a scraper movable longitudinally of said drum, a trough ada ted to receive the scrapings, a brush movable longitudinally of said trough, and means for holding saidbrush out of engagement with said trough while moving'in one direction, and'in engagement with the trough to remove the scrapings when trav- 24. In combinatiom'a rotatable drum, a

scraper movable back and forth longitudinally of said drum, means for holding said scraper 1n engagement with said drum while moving 111 one (lllBCtlOIl'iLllCl out of engagement therewith while moving in the opposite direction, a trough adapted to recelve.

the scrapings, and means movable back and forth longitudinally of said drum and. adapted to engage with thetrough while moving in one direction and be held out ofengagement therewith while moving in the opposite direction.

25. In combination, a rotatable drum, a

plate movable back and forth longitudinally 'of'said drum, a scraper carriedby said plate and adapted to engage with the surface of said drum, a troug ada ted to receive the scrapings,- a brush carrie by said plate and movable longitudinally of said trough, and

means for holding the scraper in engagement with the drum and the brushout of engagement with the trough While the plate moves in one direction and for holding the scraper out of engagement with the drum and brush in engagement with the trough While the plate moves in the opposite direction.

26. In combination, a rotatable drum, a

sprayer adapted to deliver a liquid against the surface thereof; means contacting therewith for pressing the material against said surface, and a scraper adapted to remove the material therefrom after it has remained on the surface during a plurality of revolutions of the drum and been pressed thereon a plurality of times.

27. In combination, a rotatable drum, a-

on during a plurality of revolutions of the drum and been pressed thereon a plurality of times.

28. In combination, a rotatable drum, a

sprayer "for delivering a liquid into engage-- means for moving said sprayer and scraper lengthwise of said drum, said scraper being in advance of said sprayer.

, 29. In combination, a rotatable drum, a sprayer for delivering a liquid into engagement with the surface thereof and movable longitudinally of the drum, a scraper for removing the material from said surface and movable longitudinally of the drum, and means for moving said sprayer and scraper in operative positions in one direction, with said scraper 111 advance of said sprayer, and

returning said sprayer and scraper in inoperative position to the opposite end of the drum.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of y two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN ROEH.

Witnesses:

A. G. GRAY, E. D. KING. 

